Minestrone with Pesto |
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| Servings | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories | Saturated Fat | Fat | Sodium | Carbohydrates | Protein | Cholesterol |
| 6 | |||||||||
| INGREDIENTS: | ||
| 3 tablespoons olive oil | 1 large onion, finely chopped | 1 leek, sliced |
| 2 carrots, finely chopped | 1 celery rib, finely chopped | 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped |
| 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice | 6-1/4 cups hot vegetable stock or water, or a combination of both | 1 bay leaf |
| 1 sprig of fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme | 3/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen | 2-3 zucchini, finely chopped |
| 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped | 2 cups cooked or canned beans, such as cannellini | 3 tablespoons pesto sauce |
| salt and freshly ground balck pepper | Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, to serve | |
| 1 | Heat the oil in a saucepan. Stir in the onion and leek, and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and garlic, and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes more. |
| 2 | Pour in the hot stock of water and stir well. Add the herbs and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 10-12 minutes. |
| 3 | Stir in the peas, if fresh, and the zucchini. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the frozen peas, if using and the tomatoes. Cover the pan and simmer for 5-8 minutes. |
| 4 | About 10 minutes before serving, uncover the pan and stir in the beans. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the pesto sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for a few minutes. Serve with the grated Parmesan cheese. |